Latest update November 30th, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- US EXIM Bank yet to approve loan request for Gas-to-Energy Project- David Patterson
- Afreximbank signs US$100M finance agreement with British trading firm to support its contract to market Guyana’s oil
- At least 42 Palestinians killed as Israel ramps up bombing in central Gaza
- Better Hope woman survives gas bottle explosion, sustained minor burns
- Banks ill-equipped to handle distribution of 300,000 cash grant cheques before year-end – PNCR
EMBRACING A NEW POLITICAL CULTURE
Despite all of the problems facing the country, many believe that there are glimmers of hope for change. There is hope in the fact that the Caribbean Court of Justice has ruled against presidential term limits which paved the way for new leadership in the opposition. There is also hope that the youths in the PPP are challenging the party’s traditional norms in regards to the selection of a presidential candidate.
This is a rare demonstration of change in the PPP and Guyana in general that reflects the kind of a new-era of political culture in the country. Charles Ramson Jr. public announcement to become the PPP presidential candidate in 2020 was bold. While his decision seems to upset the old guards at Freedom House, especially the opposition leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who rebuked him, it gives hope that a new-era of political culture is on the horizon.
It is time to rid the country of the old-style tribal, confrontational, vindictive and one-upmanship political leadership that is arrogant, dishonest and denigrates people. A new-era of political leadership is needed to address issues, develop policies, programmes, and to manage the national affairs in the best interest of all, which in keeping with the shared national vision.
Regretfully, many of our leaders are steeped in partisan, spiteful and racial politics practised during their grandfathers’ era.
Those of that genre should be reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who said, “We must learn to work together as brothers, or perish together as fools.”
Some of the rhetoric and attitudes displayed by the current crop of politicians from both sides of the aisle offer very little hope for the future. They are certainly not what the nation needs going forward. As a nation, we cannot continue to govern the country in the way it has evolved since independence.
Change will occur only with a new political culture and a new breed of politicians with a servant and not a dictatorial attitude. The populace must support and embrace a new political culture with firm, fair, honest leaders willing to express clear values and who are accountable for their conduct in office.
Guyana it is at a crossroad. Its economy is ailing, unemployment is high, crime is at a critical level, production has dropped, the external debt has skyrocketed and corruption remains rampant despite efforts by the government to weed it out. Our politicians must choose to become part of the solution and not contributors to the continuing problems in the country.
The last administration has failed the nation and it seems likely that the present administration will as well.
We need leaders who are humble and will accept responsibility for their actions and deal with their flaws in character or behaviour. The present leadership is not of this ilk, which means that the nation will not experience change or have good governance. We need transformational and visionary leadership with effective communication and management skills; ability in nation-building, respect for parliamentary decorum and protocol and who are people-centric and with a newness of thinking that will usher in change and a new political culturein Guyana.
We have been entrapped by years of oppression, poverty, crime, corruption and divisiveness but we can be free by adopting a new political culture. We must cast aside the old way of thinking and action which have not taken us to a First World prosperity status, but from a Third World to a lower Third World status.
We need a new era of political leaders who will adequately prepare us for prosperity so that all can be better off.
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